Taking off your shoes in the house will help keep the floors clean, however this rule can be a problem for visitors if they have health problems with their feet and must wear shoes in order to walk. Some may have difficulty reaching their feet for various reasons. You never know who may have athelets feet, a condition that is contagious and would contaminate your floors. This is a condition easily picked up at swimming pools, etc. There are pros and cons regarding no-shoes in the home. The oil from the skin on feet will rub off on the floor and attract dust/dirt whether it is carpet or hardwood.

I�ve always thought my wool rug smelled like sulfur or burnt rubber, It has smelled for years and just gets worse. I�ve had it outside for days and I�ve used several types of Carpet Fresh powder. All have been temporary fixes. I bought a commercial gallon jug of Febreze because it advertises that it bonds with odor producing properties. My rug is big (8� x 11�). I hung it on the railing of my deck on a clear dry day. I connected a spray jug onto my garden hose. The type of jug that you put lawn chemicals in(Ortho Dial N Spray). I was desperate� This rug is so big, I could easily smell it in the next room. I also paid well over $1000 for it. The commercial Febreze is supposed to be mixed at a 10 to 1 ratio. The highest setting on the Ortho Dial N Spray is 8 oz per gallon (a 22 to 1 ratio)� half the recommended mix. I had no other way to get a richer mix, so I went with it and figured I could always spray it again later. I absolutely soaked both sides of the rug. It took three days to dry ! It�s been almost two months now and no small. It�s safe to assume that if I do have to pray it again, it won�t be for a very long time and should take longer for the odor to come back with each application.

I had a stroke in 2001, spent 6 weeks in hospital getting rehab. When I was discharged, a visiting therapist came to my house to make suggestions for safety, etc. He suggested I get rid of all throw rugs, but I insisted on keeping my bathroom throw because it was pretty and part of a "set", you know those matchy-matchy sets with a tank cover and everything? So I was careful and nothing bad happened. His other suggestions included hand rails at all doors, stairs,etc. Plus several grab rails around the bathtub and toilet area. Again I resisted but I found attractive grab rails that double as towel hangers. Then in 2010 my husband had a terrible setback in his MS (Multiple Sclerosis). He had a bad reaction to some medication, had seizures and ended up in a Rehab Hospital for several months. Before he came home, I threw away that bath rug. I knew he would be coming home with a wheelchair and that darned old rug was a hazard. So out it went. I don't miss it one bit and the bathroom looks so much neater and cleaner without it.

I have one like this, purchased at a local store that carries the brand. It is seven years old and really helps me when I stand at my laundry room sink. The laundry room floors are scored, stained concrete and very hard on joints. At one point, the mat started to curl at the edges. I cannot recall how I got it to flatten out again, but I did, and it is like new. Here is a link that might be useful: Gel Pro